Kate’s Dilemma (Kate's Case Files Book 3) Page 6

  “See? You just dismissed what I said.”

  Kim’s words kept turning in his mind. It was normally Brian’s advice he had to put up with, but now he was contending with Kim too. He thought about that night during the Texas Capitol case when he had gone after Kate. Thomas had told him to stay put. Kim’s silence had spoken of her disapproval of his actions. Sure, he and Thomas bumped heads all the time. He admitted he had even disobeyed orders from Thomas a time or two, but sometimes you had to break the rules to help people. What if he hadn’t taken Kate’s side when she had been accused of bombing her campus? What if he hadn’t rushed after her earlier this year after she had been kidnapped? Kim didn’t understand.

  “Doodling, I see you are really fitting in.”

  Thomas’s dry humor from a few feet above him made Patrick smile, but he kept his eyes on the paper and the church steeple he was drawing. “Find out anything?”

  “Other than I still hate this character?”

  “Yeah, something that might be able to help the case,” Patrick responded playfully, opening a textbook. He and Thomas had worked out their whole routine; they needed to make sure that Patrick didn’t get tangled up with Thomas’s drug connections.

  “Through some of my old connections, I was able to meet up with some people. There are some pretty large operations around here. With the coast being so close by, it seems they have pretty easy avenues of shipping in and out. I’m not in on the operation yet but know that drugs are only one of the illegal operations they are into. I’m not sure, but I have heard some chatter that one of them is CDs.”

  “It seems you’ve gotten in with the right group.”

  “How’d you end up with so many colors on your jaw?”

  “Pretty, isn’t it?” Patrick couldn’t hide his grin. He continued to pretend to study his book. A quick glance around him proved there was still no one around and that Thomas was leaning against the wall not far away, looking away from Patrick. “I got it after I tried to be nice to Sharleen. She has a very jealous boyfriend. Sharleen likes making him jealous and watching him beat up on guys. I was sitting there talking with her, and she started flirting.”

  “Is she pretty?” Thomas predictably asked.

  Patrick snorted. “Pretty like a tiger. Looks soft, but don’t touch.”

  “My favorite kind.”

  “Wanna switch jobs?”

  “Yes, but I don’t recall you having a character with a criminal background that would make a drug runner want to trust you.”

  Patrick smiled again and shifted his sweating back against the wall. “It’s the face. No one would believe that I was a criminal.”

  “And me?”

  “Face it, you love this role.”

  “Ha! I’d rather be romancing your tiger than wearing these tattoos and pretending I enjoy shipping drugs that are ruining and killing thousands of people a year.”

  Patrick pulled out his notebook and doodled a glass of iced tea, complete with a lemon wedge. “Sharleen knew her brother was running drugs, I did find out that much. I’m guessing Jasper fits into this somehow.”

  Thomas grunted. “What are you doing to get closer to her?”

  Patrick wanted to avoid their age-old argument about starting romances to get information. “I got a bruise from her boyfriend, didn’t I? I would think that would show I’m getting close enough. She skips class often. I wouldn’t be surprised if she dropped out soon. While she isn’t great at expressing it, I know that the death of her brother was hard on her. She isn’t doing well.”

  “Keep at it. What news from Brian and Kate?”

  “When Kim doctored my bruise, she said that Brian has been reporting in every night. They have made contact with Gus. I got a message from her earlier today that would suggest they found a seller. She’s started surveillance.”

  “Good. What about Logan?”

  “So far she’s just getting to wait on tables and find out about the college life. Nothing much to report.”

  “And I’m left with the crumby job. I’ll probably be out of communication for a couple of days. Tell Kim to keep the team working and please try to avoid getting hit again. Purple is not a good color for you.”

  Thomas’s footsteps crunched against the asphalt. Patrick waited five minutes before he lifted his head and rose to his feet. He was sore all over and needed something to drink. He hurried toward University Pub and entered the air-conditioned building gratefully. Moving toward the deserted back room, he ordered an iced tea. He would wait here awhile and see if anyone came to him. Next time Thomas wanted to meet, they would do it indoors.

  Plantation Pillars

  Monday, June 15 3:00PM

  Kate heard people talk about Middleton Place as they had walked along crowded King Street. If someone was interested in historic homes and expansive gardens, it was the place to go. It was easy to see why when they entered. Despite the heat, the beauty around her captured her.

  “I wonder if it is hard for him to get permission to play on the grounds,” Kate wondered aloud as they strolled side by side down a gravel pathway. To her left, well-kept trees stood, whispering of the many years they had inhabited their places. To her right, lush green grass defied the hot South Carolina sun. It looked so cool and inviting Kate wanted to lie in it, wondering if it would take away some of the sweat that clung to her.

  “You kidding? They probably make a killing off of people like us who want to find him. You know there have to be a lot of people who will pay for admission just so they can see Guitar Gus.”

  Kate nodded. She had to admit, she was enjoying the challenge of finding Gus every day and exploring Charleston while doing it. This case was more laid-back than she ever imagined a case might be. It was like being on vacation with a little mystery added.

  “I think it’s my turn,” Brian said. He hadn’t brought up a question since Fort Sumter. “Would you rather visit a museum or a garden?”

  Kate couldn’t help but smile with relief. There wasn’t any pressure in this question. She had missed the easy banter that had formed between her and Brian. Yesterday they had gone to separate church services and spent the afternoon resting. Lunch that day at Middleton Inn had been expensive and silent. While she did not wish to chat about weighty matters, she had to admit she had missed the conversation.

  “Gardens. You can be alone, and they’re more peaceful. You?”

  “It depends. If it is a display of some of Albert Bierstadt’s paintings or old cars, I choose the museum. If that isn’t available, I would rather go to the gardens, but not by myself.” His grin was so telling. He was thinking of Jamie and no one else. “Besides, kids would rather run and play than look at displays.”

  Kate stuffed her hands into her pockets. “I guess you really like kids.”

  “You don’t?”

  Kate shrugged. “I haven’t been around them much. They always seem to be getting into trouble as far as I can tell.”

  “When we get back, you’ll have to come over to our house. Yes, kids can get into trouble, but if you discipline them some and give them plenty of loving attention, they’re not the terrors that some people make them out to be.”

  Kate tried to figure out how she should reply. Should she tell Brian she didn’t think that she would be staying long enough to take him up on the offer?

  They both stopped when they heard the now familiar guitar strumming. The path ended, and Gus sat on the grass with a placid pond as a backdrop. The sight was breathtaking. A small group of people stood around him. His eyes closed as he played the gentle strains of a song.

  Was the grass ever greener?

  Were the flowers ever sweeter?

  Was the water ever this still?

  Was the walk ever so romantic?

  Middleton Place, place of peace

  Still the frantic pace of my heart

  Give me and my love a memory

  Never change

  Kate smiled, once again feeling moved by the passion of th
is young artist. No, his lyrics weren’t the greatest, but at least they made more sense than half the things on the radio. He loved this place.

  Is there a house grander?

  Is there a garden fairer?

  Is there a walkway so perfect?

  Is there a place more peaceful?

  Middleton Place, place of peace

  Still the frantic pace of my heart

  Give me and my love a memory

  Never change

  Everyone clapped as the last strain of music faded. People rushed up to Gus to have their picture taken with him or their CDs signed. Brian moved forward, and Kate followed him.

  “You two again?” Gus smiled when he spotted the two of them.

  Brian put on one of his winning smiles. “We just can’t get enough of your music. We’re having fun figuring out where you are each day. You’re kinda like a tour guide for us.”

  Gus smiled softly and looked around. The crowd had moved on, and it seemed for the moment, it was just the three of them. “This is one of my favorite places to come. I have to arrange it in advance, but I love it.”

  “It’s hot,” Kate said, wiping her neck. Couldn’t he have picked an indoor place today when the temperature was again near ninety?

  “I grew up here in this city; the heat doesn’t bother me.”

  “I grew up in a cooler climate,” Kate said.

  “You picked an awesome setting,” Brian said, glancing around.

  Gus nodded. “I’m going to miss it.”

  Brian and Kate exchanged a look. Brian cleared his throat. “What are you talking about?”

  Gus shrugged. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  Brian sat down on the grass next to him. “No, we want to know.”

  Kate nodded and started to sit down, but somehow lost her balance and toppled to the ground, pushing Brian over with her.

  Brian smiled up at her. “If you wanted to stretch out and relax, all you had to do was tell me.”

  Kate scrambled to a sitting position, knowing her cheeks were flaming. She could be so clumsy at times. “I’m sorry, Gus, what is it you were saying?”

  Gus started strumming softly and looked out toward the water. “I didn’t think I could do it, make a living at my music, but I have. Well, that is, until recently. My CD sales are way down. More and more people are coming to see me, but they must be getting their CDs from illegal vendors or used online. I had a few places that would pay me to come sing at their location; now they figure that as long as they let me have an open invitation to sing, they don’t need to pay. I got my music into digital format, but I don’t sell much. Most people find it on somewhere else where users are uploading it.”

  “That’s horrible,” Brian said.

  “Yeah.” Gus shifted and stopped playing. “My girlfriend and I want to get married, but we can’t make it on her salary and what little I’m getting on my music sales. Soon, I’ll be playing once a week and working a normal job to make some money.”

  A sick feeling formed in Kate’s stomach. Was this the cost of pirating? She hadn’t thought it was a big deal. When Logan and Kim had had their disagreement, she thought it didn’t matter one way or the other. Now, she felt like it mattered. Pirating was destroying Gus’s dream.

  “Maybe things will turn around. Have you told the police about the pirated CDs? I’ve heard that they can do stuff about it.”

  Gus shrugged and started strumming again. “They have closed down a couple of sellers, but it hasn’t stopped it. I’m guessing that out of every hundred CDs I’m signing, only about ten of them are the real thing. Most people are buying the CDs from street vendors, not the authorized stores.”

  “That’s horrible. If we see anyone selling your CDs, we’ll report them,” Brian said.

  “Thank you,” Gus said and closed his eyes. His strumming picking up a moment later, he started singing.

  Is it just my imagination or can I still hear them?

  Their chanting voices longing for freedom?

  They worked these grounds as slaves, but their children are now free.

  Plantation pillars so beautiful and white

  Hiding the dark stain of the slave’s plight

  Let us never forget, but always remember

  And try to do what is right

  Brian stood and helped Kate to her feet. They started back the way they had come. She felt heavy both from what Gus had told her and at the thought of leaving this team. As much as she hated to admit it, they had gotten under her skin. They had weakened her somehow. Before she had joined the FBI team, she would have been able to hear Gus’s story and not feel anything. They had awakened something in her that she didn’t want to be awakened: caring. Caring hurt, it caused so much pain. Yeah, she wanted to belong to this group, but it would hurt too much.

  Is it just my imagination, or can I still hear them?

  Those Southern ladies, mourning for their dead

  Lost were their husbands, brothers, and friends

  The war had cost them all their way of life

  Plantation pillars so beautiful and white

  Hiding the dark stain of the war’s plight

  Let us never forget, but always remember

  And try to do what is right

  The right thing to do for her would be to leave this team so that she wouldn’t bother them anymore, and they wouldn’t invade her heart. She had to let them go.

  Do You Steal?

  Monday, June 15 6:00PM

  Patrick picked up another fry and looked across the table at Logan. Both of them didn’t have anywhere they needed to be this evening. They had decided to have dinner together.

  “This place is ah-mazing,” Logan said, her eyes closed as she chewed her burger. “I wish I could bring it back home with me. I wonder if they would be willing to franchise.”

  Patrick laughed. “And if they are, would you be able to afford to buy the franchise rights?”

  Logan sighed as she sipped her soda. “Probably not, but I can dream…and plan a trip back here just to eat at all these awesome places.”

  “Have you learned anything from your work?”

  “Other than the fact you really should have listened to other people’s advice and avoided Sharleen and her scary boyfriend?”

  Patrick held up his hands. “Please, not you too.”

  Logan stopped her burger halfway to her mouth, her red hair with its temporary blue highlights flopping forward. “What?”

  “I got a lecture from Kim about respecting authority and taking advice.” He didn’t add anything about the dream. He was pretty sure Logan would take Kim’s dream seriously.

  “Well, you know you need it if Kim says something.”

  Patrick bristled at her words. Maybe Kate had a good reason to be irritated with Logan. “Kim doesn’t always see things clearly,” Patrick countered. “If she always did, then why are you arguing with her about the whole pirated music thing?”

  Logan swallowed her bite of the burger before she replied. “I don’t mean that she’s always right. I’m just saying that when she lectures you, it’s time to listen.”

  “Like you do when she talks about pirated music?”

  Logan looked down at her plate and then dug around in her purse. Patrick knew what she was looking for. A moment later she was pressing a ball between her hands.

  “You’re right, I blew her off. I shouldn’t have. One of the things I admire about Kim is she doesn’t spend any time arguing or lecturing about things that aren’t important. I just chalked all her talk about piracy to being one of the things we disagree on. I really didn’t give her side much thought.”

  Patrick sighed. This wasn’t what he had wanted to talk about. He wanted to eat with one of his friends and enjoy some downtime. It was time to employ some diversionary tactics. “How long do you think you’ll keep the blue streaks?” He stared at the locks of hair that were such an odd color for Logan.

  “They come out as soon a
s possible. Pink or purple might have worked. Blue with my hair? Big mistake. And you are not derailing me from this subject. Kim calls it stealing, and I just don’t think of it that way.”

  Patrick leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms. “Neither do I. Most of the stuff that I watch or listen to online isn’t stuff I’d buy anyway. It isn’t like they’re going to make money off of me.”

  “I know! That’s what I was thinking. Kim keeps saying, ‘Well, you wouldn’t take a CD or DVD from the store.’ I say it’s a silly comparison. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t even rip a CD or DVD and upload it to the internet. What’s already there is there. It’s going to be used whether I use it or not, so I might as well use it.”

  Patrick nodded. At least this wouldn’t be an argument between them. “Brian keeps saying I need to reacquaint myself with the definition of stealing and what God says about it. Besides, people can claim stuff as theirs on YouTube and get some of the advertising profits. It isn’t like they suffer.”

  Logan set her ball down and ate for a moment. Her brow was furrowed as she chewed slowly. After she swallowed, she lifted her eyes to meet Patrick’s. “Do you hear what we’re saying? We are both mad at our best friends over something we think is no big deal. Why are we so defensive?”

  “Maybe because they are acting like they’re so much better.”

  Logan picked up her ball and pressed it between her hands. “That doesn’t sound like Brian or Kim. Admit it, we’re both more arrogant than either of them.”

  Patrick couldn’t argue with that. “Okay, then why are we so defensive?”

  Logan shrugged and dipped a fry into her ketchup. “Because they’re making us feel like criminals.”

  Patrick nodded slowly and ate some of his burger while he pondered Logan’s answer. “I guess the next logical question is why we feel like criminals. They’re accusing us of a sin, but why do we automatically feel guilty? Why don’t we have confidence in our viewpoint?”